Finding 50912 (2022-004)

Significant Deficiency
Requirement
P
Questioned Costs
-
Year
2022
Accepted
2023-09-27
Audit: 44500
Auditor: Uhy LLP

AI Summary

  • Core Issue: The Organization lacks a formal method for determining its indirect cost rate and does not have a policy for using either a negotiated rate or the 10% de minimis rate.
  • Impacted Requirements: Non-federal entities must consistently apply an indirect cost rate across all federal awards and monitor compliance with established policies.
  • Recommended Follow-Up: Develop a formal policy to use the 10% de minimis rate, document the base rate for costs, and establish monitoring procedures for compliance.

Finding Text

2002-04 ? Policy for indirect costs and monitoring of that policy Criteria: Non-federal entities should either obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate or elect to use a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs. Either method must be charged consistently for all federal awards. Controls over indirect policies should be monitored for compliance. Condition: The Organization does not have a formal method of identifying its base rate for an indirect cost rate, nor do they have a formal policy for charging either a negotiated indirect cost rate or the de minimis rate of 10%. Cause: There was no team member assigned to this task during the year. Effect: Potentially, unallowable costs could be charged to the federal programs. However, we did not note instances of this in our testing. Recommendation: Since the Organization does not charge over the 10% de minimis rate on any federal program, we recommend creating a formal policy to use the 10% de minimis rate on all federal programs. As part of this policy the organization should document its base rate for modified total direct costs and establish procedures for monitoring compliance of the policy. Response: The Organization has hired a part time consultant to maintain this grant schedule

Corrective Action Plan

Finding 4: Policy for Indirect Costs and Monitoring of that Policy (2022- 04) 4.1 Action Plan To address the identified issues regarding the policy for indirect costs and monitoring of that policy, the organization will take the following steps: ? Formalization of Policy: Develop and formalize a policy to consistently charge a de minimis rate of 10% for indirect costs on all federal programs. This policy will replace the previous practice of determining indirect costs on a case-by-case or grant-by-grant basis. ? Documentation of Base Rate: Document the base rate for modi?ed total direct costs to establish a clear and consistent basis for calculating the 10% de minimis rate. ? Monitoring and Compliance: Implement procedures for monitoring compliance with the new policy, including regular reviews to ensure that the 10% rate is being applied consistently across all federal programs. 4.2 Responsible Personnel The newly hired Grants Manager, along with the executive management team, will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the new policy. Their responsibilities will include overseeing the implementation of the policy and monitoring its adherence across all relevant programs. 4.3 Resources and Tools Page 45 The organization will leverage its existing resources, including the custom-built grant management solution and QuickBooks Online, to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of the new policy. 4.4 Implementa3on Timeline The organization plans to implement the new policy immediately, applying the 10% de minimis rate to all new grants moving forward without delay. 4.5 Training and Support The organization will provide necessary training and support to the Grants Manager and other relevant personnel to ensure a smooth transition to the new policy protocols. This will include training on the calculation and application of the 10% de minimis rate. 4.6 Monitoring and Evalua3on A monitoring and evaluation mechanism will be established to assess the e?ectiveness of the new policy. This will involve regular reviews to ensure consistent application of the 10% rate and compliance with federal requirements, thereby preventing the charging of potentially unallowable costs to federal programs.

Categories

Allowable Costs / Cost Principles Subrecipient Monitoring Matching / Level of Effort / Earmarking

Other Findings in this Audit

  • 50913 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 50914 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 50915 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 50916 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 50917 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 50918 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 50919 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 50920 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 50921 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 627354 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 627355 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 627356 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 627357 2022-005
    Significant Deficiency
  • 627358 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 627359 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 627360 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 627361 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 627362 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency
  • 627363 2022-004
    Significant Deficiency

Programs in Audit

ALN Program Name Expenditures
15.611 Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education $15,448
15.634 State Wildlife Grants $14,194
15.669 Cooperative Landscape Conservation $20